𝓟𝓱𝓲𝓵𝓸𝓹𝓱𝓸𝓫𝓲𝓪 || Regulus Black

4.7 - Nighttime

Barty and Regulus were heading outside, hoping to stay out past curfew one night, when they ran into Ophelia in the common room. Immediately when she saw them, she couldn't help but feel upset, knowing what they were up to.

Regulus knew she would be upset if she found out what they were doing, but he also knew it was almost too late to pull himself out of the hole that he and Barty created.

He tried to create a lie, but was having trouble. "We were just about to—"

"No. I don't want to hear it." Ophelia stopped him. "If you're going to do something stupid, then go and don't tell me anything. But if you want me to continue being your friend, I would advise you to stay."

Regulus let out a sigh of relief. He hated letting Ophelia down, and he was so glad that she was willing to give him a second chance just then.

"Thank you." He said. "I'm sorry, I'll stay here. Or we could do something together if you want."

Barty began to protest, but Ophelia and Regulus both chose to ignore him. 

"We can just hang out all night, we don't need to do anything that would get us in trouble." Regulus offered. 

Opehlia considered it for a moment, but was obviously hesitant. "Could Pandora hang out with us too?" 

Regulus sighed, thinking of how to answer. "Would she be bringing Xenophilius too?"

Ophelia held back a smile. "If I'm being honest, I would hope not."

She would never admit it to Pandora, but Ophelia wasn't the biggest fan of Xenophilius. She felt he was too much like Pandora, but not in a good way. 

"Then she can come." Regulus said. "But get her quickly before the professors start checking the halls."

Ophelia's mouth formed into a wide smile, and she stood up, giggling with excitement. 

"Okay, thank you!" She said to Regulus. "I'll go get her really quickly. You two, stay here and think of something for us to do."

Barty and Regulus watched as Ophelia ran out of the common room. Barty rolled his eyes strongly, but Regulus' eyes followed Ophelia out. 

Barty punched Regulus on the arm as soon as Ophelia was out of sight and earshot. Regulus winced slightly, then punched Barty back. 

"What the bloody hell is wrong with you?" Regulus asked him. "What was that for?"

"You keep letting her hang out with us." Barty said through gritted teeth. "It was so close, she was about to let us go and never talk to us again and then you stopped it."

Regulus looked at him with a puzzled and upset look on his face. "Barty, are you mental? I invited her to hang out because she was about to never speak to us again. I've explained it before, I need her."

"No, you—"

Barty was interrupted by Ophelia running into the Slytherin common room. 

"I was extra quick!" Ophelia said. 

"I was already on my way here." Pandora said, standing outside the common room door. "So, what are we doing?"

"Barty isn't feeling well, he's going to stay here." Regulus told the girls before Barty could say anything. "But we can go to the library if you both want."

The two girls nodded in agreement, and Ophelia started walking towards Pandora. Regulus started walking as well, but he shot Barty the stink eye as he left to go with the girls. 

----------

By the time the girls had tired themselves out in the school's library, it was far past their curfew. The three of them decided the night was over and wanted to head back to their rooms.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay in my dorm?" Pandora asked Ophelia as they walked down the dark hallways.

"No, it's alright." Ophelia said quietly. "Staying with Regulus is always easy."

"It is easy." Regulus agreed. "Plus, Barty is likely in the hospital wing for the night, so we don't have to deal with him."

Regulus knew Barty wasn't actually in the hospital wing. He was the one who made up the lie in the first place, but he knew Barty well enough to know that he wasn't going to miss an opportunity for mischief. 

Pandora parted ways from the two Slytherins, then Regulus and Ophelia made their way down to Regulus' dorm together. 

The two arrived at the empty room, and immediately fell back into their old routine. They hadn't spent the night together since last school year, but it was a procedure all too familiar to them. Regulus put on a pair of pyjamas, and Ophelia took off her school clothes and only left her underwear and her robe. 

Ophelia ran her fingers through her hair as she didn't have a brush to use, then crawled into bed with Regulus. 

"Thank you for ditching Barty tonight." Ophelia told him. 

"I had to." Regulus said. "I couldn't lose you again."

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have listened to Sirius and James."

"No. They were right."

"But they're too adamant." Ophelia said. "All they do is tell me to stop being friends with you. I can't stand living with them sometimes." 

As she spoke, Ophelia gently ran her fingers through the locks of hair covering Regulus' forehead. 

"You could just live at my house." Regulus told her. "It's been more empty than usual lately."

Ophelia held back a chuckle, but remained composed. "Goodnight, Regulus."

She slowly pulled her hands back and turned her body to face the wall, but before she could lie down with her back turned to Regulus, she felt his hands gently cupping her face and his lips planted against hers. 

Her eyes were wide open at first, but she immediately closed them to bask in the moment. She had wondered if Regulus had ever done this before, but that thought was quickly replaced by a million others. 

The feeling was absolutely selcouth, for the lack of a better descriptor. She had never kissed anyone before, but she enjoyed it. 

She was tense at first, but her entire body had eased up after a second or two. Regulus had started moving his hands down her back, his fingers dragging along the cape of her robe. 

The two were interrupted by the sound of the dormitory door opening. Regulus and Ophelia pulled apart and laid down quickly while Barty walked in looking sluggish. 

"Oh, she's here." Barty observed without a gram of emotion in his voice, other than disappointment. 

"Yes, she is." Regulus said, pulling his blanket over Ophelia and himself.

He and Ophelia laid down in bed, facing each other. Ophelia bit her lip to constrict a smile as she looked into Regulus' eyes. 

"You're not going to lose me again." She whispered before turning around and going to sleep.